I probably will, although once the fad dies down, much of the fun of this game will be gone. Now it's fun because many people play it. It's a shared experience.
I personally will continue to play it if they add new features such as multiplayer battles, trading and more Pokémon to collect.
But if Niantic wants to keep large groups of people engaged for a few more months, there's something else they need to do: communicate with the fans. The way Niantic has been handling the communication about the various bugs and early server issues we've seen this past month is a PR disaster. If they don't take serious note and communicate more quickly, people will stop playing out of frustration. At least let us know you are aware of any issues with the app. It took until de SDCC until John Hanke acknowledged they were aware of the footprint bug. Have they never heard of communicating through Twitter? It's ridiculous.
If this is so bad, you can download the original SkyRoads and the Christmas Special as freeware these days. They are insanely tough but hold up well enough.
This is just not right. The game is about going out to different places to see what appears. It takes all the fun out of the game. Although the recent Pokémon tracking bug partially ruins the experience, so I can see why people would want to use this.
This article honestly doesn't seem very reliable as Dark-types don't exist in this game yet. Yet this article still mentions where they 'reportedly' have been spotted.
Just went for a run. Had to restart this thing like a dozen times. At least I won two Gyms for our Yellow Lord. (one of which lasted for like two minutes, but it's the idea that counts.)
It's a lot of fun and has plenty of potential. But the version they released to the public this week is a buggy mess. The gyms don't function properly. I couldn't even kick out the low-leveled Drowzee at the old windmill a few streets away. How am I supposed to liberate the town from Blue heathens in the name of our lord Zapdos if my opponent gets stuck at 1 HP. I see a lot of people having the same issue.
While a lot better in the 3DS version, Treecko was an absolutely abysmal Pokémon early on in the game in the GBA days. It didn't even learn too many Grass-type attacks. There are least was a long difference in level between the whimpy Absorb and the powerful move Leaf Blade.
This game looks incredible. I love the designs of the new Pokémon so far. For my starter I'm gonna pick Rowlet, which is my favourite out of all three. It's too dang cute. I'm also really digging Litten and that Sun lion, though. I hope the third-person perspective isn't just in the areas shown in the trailer. With previous games, the trailer made it seem like third person, but once you actually played it, it was still largely top-down. This one has fully rendered characters walking around on the overworld, making it feel much more like a living, breathing world. The battles look similar to the recent sixth generation, but that is by no means a bad thing. This game looks fantastic. Particularly that city looks great. It looks like the map shown shows only the main island. It appears there will be more islands to explore like in the real Hawaii. I guess it will be like Hoenn or the Sevii Islands, where more islands open up once you get further. Maybe it will have three main islands with their own Pokédexes like the central, coastal and mountain areas in X and Y. Surf and ferry ships will probably feature prominently here. Let's hope there is more variety than Wingull and Tentacool, though.
This looks incredible. They seem to take less of a top-down perspective here. Let's hope that is not just in the areas they showed like with X and Y. Like the new Pokémon, particularly the lion and the owl thing.
So this is real? Nintendo actually doing something right with user friendliness of digital stores seems so rare at this point that this sounds too good to be true.
No mention of Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald or the excellent Game Boy remakes FireRed/LeafGreen? Blasphemy! No Nintendo handheld top 10 list can be without a mention of the iconic monster battling franchise. While Ruby and Sapphire have their own 3DS remakes, the Emerald Version still offers an altered Hoenn region storyline and additional challenges even OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire do not have, making it well worth at least one playthrough even today. FireRed and LeafGreen offer the definitive version of Pokémon's original Kanto quest, with many features and new areas that provide a streamlined experience that holds up much better than the recent VC Game Boy versions.
Then there's Mario Kart Super Circuit, a sadly overlooked entry in the series packed with lots of content and great Mode 7 visuals. You will find yourself hard-pressed to find a better racing game on the system. One of the coolest things is that you can unlock the tracks from Super Mario Kart, doubling the number of playable tracks in the game. While Retro Cups are a staple of the series nowadays, it was quite a surprise back in the early '00s. The new tracks include some serious creativity, including one made out of gift ribbons and a desert made of cheese.
And let's not forget Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age; two fully realized and visually gorgeous JRPGs that form one two-parter story. In any top ten list they should be treated as one game and they are best experienced when played both back-to-back in a single playthrough. The Djinn system provides plenty of experimentation and gameplay depth. You can find these spirits throughout your quest, collecting them as if they were Pokémon. You can either use their powers in battle or put them on standby to summon powerful spirits. The trick is to combine the four different elemental types of Djinni to get different powers or unlock new summons. Golden Sun builds on the legacy of - and feels like a homage to - the great JRPG classics of the SNES era, like Final Fantasy VI or Chrono Trigger. Just be prepared for some annoyingly long dialogue.
@Pikachupwnage A total amen to that, man. Mega Magcargo is the only thing that can potentially save that poor guy. One with a great boost in its Speed stat and with something different than that horrendous Fire/Rock typing could do wonders for the poor thing. What I really like about Mega Evolution is that it allows the otherwise useless or outclassed Pokémon to have a second chance to shine. I mean who thought something like Beedrill would ever become this solid?
I still typically go for a boxed version for two reasons: 1. It saves storage space on the 3DS. 2. I don't own a credit card, so if I want to add credit to the eShop, I have to use codes which I still need to go to the store for anyway.
If it ends up being download-only, I will move along, though. You need to be carrful with this stuff, though. Remember that PSP Go system nobody bought because it was download-only? You should never force these kind of things too quickly on people.
The best one is the the magma snail Pokémon called Magcargo. A clever mix of 'magma', 'cargo' (as in the shell it carries on its back) and 'escargot' (as in the French word for snail).
They should have just made both an option, which I actually thought was the case at first. It would have been better because it would make people who have played it on Wii, GameCube or now for the first time on Wii U, all right at home. I personally always really liked the Wii controls.
I don't see the point of shelving out ten euros when I have the excellent GBA remake lying around. Yellow could be an option but only if there is some benefit to transferring your monsters to Sun/Moon that X/Y or OR/AS cannot provide.
Oh come on! Are we ever going to learn something more about this game. I was already starting to get hyped. Hope we at least get SOME info on this project. It sounds like a very cool and fun concept.
Perhaps I'll give Yellow a try. I've already played so much through Red and I own FireRed and LeafGreen as well, so Yellow is really the only version that might still be of some value due to its unique features and altered boss rosters. I find the 10 euro price tag a little too high for a game I have played in various forms already. It really depends on wether there ends up being some serious benefit to sending your Pokémon from these versions to Sun and Moon. If it's just about adding certain Pokémon to the Pokédex I can rely perfectly on X/Y and OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire.
I don't really get why the paired versions were separate, but I am in full agreement HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best ones. Not only did they provide a way to experience what was still the best Pokémon quest all over again, they also worked amazingly well as remakes by incorporating the new elements from Crystal as well as putting back in scrapped areas that originate in Red, Blue and Yellow.
Gold, Silver & Crystal were amazing at the time and long stood as my favourite Pokémon games. What made them special was that you could return to the Kanto region of the first three games, where some things were changed and three years had passed. Some of the old features were missing, though, like the Safari Zone, Cerulean and Seafoam Caves or Viridian Forest. HeartGold and SoulSilver remedy this by putting these areas back in, while also adding all the little additions from Crystal and most of the new features added in the third and fourth generations. It's not just a game that has stood the test of time, but also works really well as a remake. It's, simply put, the best Pokémon game made even better.
I vividly remember playing Pokémon Red in 2000 on the Game Boy at the height of the craze. What struck me is how easy it was to pick up and play yet how deep it was at the same time.
A year later I picked up Gold. Little did I know just how big of a ride I was in for. 100 new Pokémon, new Dark and Steel types, a new Johto region to explore and eight new badges to collect. Playing through the second generation for the first time is still my fondest gaming memory. Spring 2001 is full of magical memories for me. The whole experience was just so much better and more refined than ever before.
I kept on playing through each new game since then and my almost 29-year old body is ready for Sun and Moon.
What makes it still so fun to play is the fact that it adds new layers of gameplay and complexity with each new game - be it new types, the split between physical and special moves, new battle modes or mega evolutions - yet still manages to retain that easy to pick up and play nature. Each new game adds new stuff without ever sacrificing what was so fun about the older games.
Instead, it improves on an already great formula and makea it more varied and versatile. You can play however you want with whatever Pokémon you want. There is always room for experimentation. That makes it so that I can enjoy these games just as much as I enjoyed Red when I was thirteen years old. Sun and Moon will most likely be no different and I can't wait to find out what new gameplay concepts they will add.
Well that was dissapointing. I really hoped to see some footage of the new games. At least it's nice to know Red, Blue and Yellow can use Pokémon Bank.
HELL YEAH! Not another third version. I wonder if this will still be 6th generation. With the recent reveal of that new Pokémon Magearna, it might just be an all new generation. SO PSYCHED!
HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best ones. Gold/Silver/Crystal were the best prior to that. Ergo, HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best Pokémon games made even better. The dual region concept was really cool in the Johto versions. The DS remakes added a lot of first generation stuff that was missing in the originals like the Safari Zone, the caves on the Seafoam Islands and Cerulean City and the forest north of Viridian City. You could also capture legendary pokémon from the first and third generation. All in all HeartGold and SoulSilver still feel like one of the most complete games two generations later. I picked X as my third option besides these two because of its carefully designed world and huge Pokémon variety. Could have picked Y as well but I slightly prefer X.
Either more info on Pokémon GO or a new portable game. If it's the latter, it is likely the much-speculated 'Pokémon Z' or really any version with a prominent role for Zygarde, including its various recently revealed forms. I'm expecting that complete form to be on th boxart. It could be something similar to Black and White 2, where it's a sequel to X and Y, or perhaps just a third edition to those games in the tradition of Pokémon Yellow. Whatever it is, I think this will be something big. Can't wait!
I have Mega Man Legacy Collection on PC but as a portable release it still makes me consider buying it again. The idea of playing it on the go is interesting.
Pokémon is too expensive for me. I don't see the point of buying these games if I can still play the superior GBA remakes FireRed and LeafGreen. If there had been something substantial in these games not in the later titles in the series, I'd have liked the idea of having them in digital form. Unfortunately, the first generation is just too bare-bones to still show its depth in an age of online multiplayer, breeding and Mega Evolution.
Ocarina of Time is the best one. Why? Because it's the most balanced one. It's still easy to pick up and play, has a decent narrative, includes some of the best dungeons in the series, looks and sounds great for a game of its time, has clever ways to translate an older formula in 3D and innovated the series and gaming in general. It's a perfect mix of gameplay and presentational elements. Each little aspect of the game is thought through, has meaning, feels like it belongs there. But what truly makes it stand out among other Zeldas is how seamlessly all those elements blend together. More than any other Zelda game, Ocarina is more than just the sum of its parts. While other Zelda games always felt like they put too much emphasis on some parts and too little on others, Ocarina to me always felt like the one that got everything just about right.
I'm probably not gonna get them anyway. I'll go with FireRed or LeafGreen for my Generation 1 nostaliga kicks. If I do get one, it's probably gonna be the Yellow Pikachu Version.
X and Y form one of my favourite Pokémon pairs. While a little rough around the edges, the games still look great overall and finally provide that much needed big leap forward. Finally everything is rendered in 3D. This shines through especially during the battles, which feature absolutely gorgeous cell-shaded Pokémon. Watching them fight feels a lot like the cartoon and it's all rather spectacular. The France-inspired Kalos region is very well designed from an artistic perspective. Famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Reims Cathedral, Castle Chenonceaux, Versailles Palace and the Carnac Stones all have their equivalents in the game and are instantly recognizable. The Paris-inspired Lumiose City is almost a parody of an idealized vision of France, down to the locals, their customs and their mannerisms. Another big addition is Mega Evolution, which is almost like a super saiyan form for Pokémon. It feels much more of an addition than just adding evolutions of older Pokémon like in generation 2 or 4. This concept actually allows for an interesting battle mechanic making familiar Pokémon more versatile. The Mega Evolutions are like stronger versions of classics like Charizard or Lucario, but feel like new Pokémon all the same. Therefor I can kinda forgive the lack of new Pokémon. What is there is great, anyway. My favourites include the ninja frog Greninja, the flower-wielding pixie fairy Flabébé and the T-rex Pokémon Tyrantrum. The Fairy-type is a wonderful new layer in Pokémon's intricate gameplay that balances the Dragon-type like Dark and Steel did for Psychic-types in Gold and Silver. It's so great to have a new type that feels like in belongs in the game. Many older Pokémon like Clefairy and Ralts are this type as well now, which makes a lot of sense and adds new levels of versatility to them. The diversity in obtainable Pokémon is huge and allows for maximum freedom in team-building, even early on in the game.
OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire are great remakes, although I would have liked to see more of the stuff from Emerald. What I liked about the Gold/Silver remakes was that they included much of the little additions from Crystal as well. They didn't do the same with Emerald here. The most grotesque omission is the absence of the Battle Frontier. Other than that, the large number of Legendary Pokémon, Mirage Spots, new Mega Evolutions and a 3D Hoenn are wonderful. Much like the Zelda remakes, the eastetic of the original remains intact. This is Hoenn as vivid as ever. The Soar mechanic is very cool. Finally you can explore not just land and sea, but also the skies. It's a logical step forward that I hope they refine in future games. Speaking of which, I am curious if there will be a Z version featuring Zygarde. This is one of my favourite generations so far and I hope we will see one more game (pair).
I hope they do the generation 5 thing and make it a sequel to the first X and Y. That would be the best ending to one of my favourite Pokémon generations.
I was a little dissapointed with Black and White. While I enjoyed it and played it just as much as the previous titles, I didn't feel like it improved as much upon the ever-deepening Pokémon experience. The Rotation and Triple Battles were too rare to have any major effect on the game and only really shone in multiplayer. I missed many features like a Battle Frontier or a Safari Zone, and while there was a massive helping of 150+ new creatures to collect, their designs were kinda hit and miss. For every badass Seismitoad or Darmanitan there is a Klink (literally two spinning gears) or Woobat (just a Psychic-type Zubat). The graphics weren't really an improvement either, even with the battles finally being animated.
There was a lot of cool stuff, too. I did like how you don't see any Magikarps, Pikachus or Zubats, but instead find only new Pokémon you never met before (even if some are like rehashes). No forced evolutions or lower forms of old Pokémon like in Generation four, just new faces. And, while familiar, the plot has more meat because the main heroes and villians are more fleshed out, making you actually care about them. Oh, and the fact you can now use TM's over and over like HM's is a blessing and a subtle but distinctly useful improvement for competitive players. Speaking of multiplayer, the C-Gear finally made the on-the-go, social experience come full circle (and a long way since the link cables of late 90s and early 00s schoolyards). One small thing I personally really enjoyed was the first gym. At first you are tricked into believing this is a Normal-type gym full of generic creatures. But once you reach the Gym Leader, your opponent is actually decided by what Pokémon you pick at the start. It's always the one strong against your starter, so if you pick Oshawott the Water-type, you face a Grass specialist, the firey Tepig makes you face a Water-type trainer and Grass creature Snivy nets you a Fire-type master to fight. The fact that there is a replacement Pokémon available in the area - so as to mess with the Gym Leader's strategy - is a perfect example of Pokémon's depth and fun factor.
Then came Black and White 2. I was surprised they didn't opt for the mandatory third version, but went the extra mile and made a sequel instead. And what a genius move it was. The old cast from the first game was two years older. They are wiser, more mature and all the more enjoyable if you played the first game. There are many more Pokémon available right away. While it takes away the freshness of the first game, adding Pokémon from old generations is more befitting for a sequel and gave much more room for team building and experimenting with different creatures. It ultimately felt more like the game I didn't get with the first two games.
In the end, I still think they should have taken the time to make Black and White a 3DS title. What we got felt a little like a filler generation (even with the sequel being better). The rough start of Nintendo's new handheld could have been prevented if Pokémon had been a launch title.
Diamond and Pearl weren't a proper improvement visually, but the fact that you could finally battle and trade online was a revelation. Something you don't notice at first, but had a huge influence on the gameplay was the fact that each move was now assigned special or physical individually, instead of each element type. This made some of your favourite Pokémon suddenly useless and some of the mediocre ones turned out to be beasts when imported into Sinnoh. I disliked the Battle Frontier was removed, but they brought it back in Platinum. The weird Distortion World in that game made the climax at Mt. Coronet that much more interesting, especially with the new Giratina form at the end. And then came HeartGold and SoulSilver. My God, this is a textbook example of how to do a proper remake. Gold, Silver and Crystal were my favourite Pokémon games to begin with, but this version makes the game even better. There are new areas, including the Safari Zone which had to be scrapped at the last moment in the GBC original, there's a bit more storyline and it even carries over many of the little additions added in Crystal, including the Suicune side-quest. The DS touch screen is implemented much better than in the Sinnoh games as well, allowing for gameplay that's a little more streamlined. The Kanto postgame is also much better than before. Many things cut from the originals, like the basement on the Seafoam Islands, the cave in Cerulean City and the forest south of Viridian City have been put back in place, as well as all the Red, Blue and Yellow legendary Pokémon. It just feels like they went the extra mile to correct the issues of what was already a terrific game. Add in that little box of win that turns the music into the old 8-bit version and you have what is still my favourite Pokémon game.
Save for the more colourful GBA graphics, this generation wasn't as much of an improvement at first glance. Under the surface, though, things like natures and the expanded berry system really made the gameplay deeper and more interesting once you really looked into it. I wasn't too blown away by Ruby or Sapphire at first. The sizeable amount of new creatures was welcome, although I hated how many of the older Pokémon weren't available at first. Thankfully, later titles in this generation corrected this. The idea of Pokémon remakes was a clever way of keeping older Pokémon adventures available to new generations of players, while old fans got an easy way to get their hands on Pokémon from older titles. Once the Generation 1 remakes came along, suddenly there were two stories in two different worlds expanding each other greatly. In retrospect, it was a genious move by Game Freak. Sure, the GBA's high amount of remakes and ports got a little annoying after a few years, but FireRed and LeafGreen were amongst those that actually added something substantial to the original games. And that's exactly what a good remake should do. Then there was Emerald. The new Battle Frontier was pretty damn hardcore. Sure, the game was mostly the same thing as the other two Hoenn versions, but it also was the ultimate version and the biggest Pokémon experience ever at the time. What started as a little dissapointing for me, ultimately became one of my most played generations. So many memories!
Comments 726
Re: Poll: Will You Still Be Playing Pokémon GO at the End of 2016?
I probably will, although once the fad dies down, much of the fun of this game will be gone. Now it's fun because many people play it. It's a shared experience.
I personally will continue to play it if they add new features such as multiplayer battles, trading and more Pokémon to collect.
But if Niantic wants to keep large groups of people engaged for a few more months, there's something else they need to do: communicate with the fans. The way Niantic has been handling the communication about the various bugs and early server issues we've seen this past month is a PR disaster. If they don't take serious note and communicate more quickly, people will stop playing out of frustration. At least let us know you are aware of any issues with the app. It took until de SDCC until John Hanke acknowledged they were aware of the footprint bug. Have they never heard of communicating through Twitter? It's ridiculous.
Re: Review: SpaceRoads (Wii U eShop)
If this is so bad, you can download the original SkyRoads and the Christmas Special as freeware these days. They are insanely tough but hold up well enough.
Re: Say Hello To The Site Which Lets You Find Rare Monsters Near You In Pokémon GO
This is just not right. The game is about going out to different places to see what appears. It takes all the fun out of the game. Although the recent Pokémon tracking bug partially ruins the experience, so I can see why people would want to use this.
Re: Fresh Pokémon Sun And Moon News Coming August 1st
New Mega Evolutions please!
Re: Random: Sony XDev Europe Pokes Fun At Pokémon GO For Being Late To The AR Party
I like how they fail to mention that they probably ripped off the collectible monster mechanic from Pokémon.
Re: Guide: Pokémon GO Monster Types And Where To Find Them
@burninmylight Magenemite and Magneton are Electric/Steel.
Re: Guide: Pokémon GO Monster Types And Where To Find Them
This article honestly doesn't seem very reliable as Dark-types don't exist in this game yet. Yet this article still mentions where they 'reportedly' have been spotted.
How, NintendoLife. Just... how?
Re: Guide: How to Beat Pokémon GO's Server Problems
Just went for a run. Had to restart this thing like a dozen times. At least I won two Gyms for our Yellow Lord. (one of which lasted for like two minutes, but it's the idea that counts.)
Re: Feature: What Are Your Thoughts, So Far, on Pokémon GO?
It's a lot of fun and has plenty of potential. But the version they released to the public this week is a buggy mess. The gyms don't function properly. I couldn't even kick out the low-leveled Drowzee at the old windmill a few streets away. How am I supposed to liberate the town from Blue heathens in the name of our lord Zapdos if my opponent gets stuck at 1 HP. I see a lot of people having the same issue.
Re: Pokémon GO Success Causes Nintendo Share Price To Surge, But Teething Troubles Frustrate
I find it very addictive and fun, but it does have some performance issues.
Also blue heathens who speak heresy to our Lord Zapdos are everywhere and keep kicking my Raticate out.
Re: New Lego Dimensions Packs Confirmed, Beetlejuice And The A-Team Make The Cut
Could there be a better thing in the world than tiny Lego Mr. T? I think not.
Re: Chrono Trigger Director Would Love To Create A New "High End" Version Of The Game
There was actually a promising-looking fan remake in development for a while, but it got cancelled for obvious reasons.
Re: Random: Japanese Gamers Decide Which Starter Pokémon Is The Most "Seriously Useless"
While a lot better in the 3DS version, Treecko was an absolutely abysmal Pokémon early on in the game in the GBA days. It didn't even learn too many Grass-type attacks. There are least was a long difference in level between the whimpy Absorb and the powerful move Leaf Blade.
Re: The Pokémon Company Confirms More Sun and Moon Details for 2nd June
And the hype train is ready to depart again. Next station: 2nd June.
Re: Video: Potential Pokémon Sun & Moon Starter Evolution Types Revealed
I don't find this super convincing. It could just be they are still uploading all the graphics to the site and haven't gotten around to all of it yet.
Re: Poll: Did The First Pokémon: Sun and Moon Trailers and Starter Pokémon Get You Excited?
This game looks incredible. I love the designs of the new Pokémon so far. For my starter I'm gonna pick Rowlet, which is my favourite out of all three. It's too dang cute. I'm also really digging Litten and that Sun lion, though. I hope the third-person perspective isn't just in the areas shown in the trailer. With previous games, the trailer made it seem like third person, but once you actually played it, it was still largely top-down. This one has fully rendered characters walking around on the overworld, making it feel much more like a living, breathing world. The battles look similar to the recent sixth generation, but that is by no means a bad thing. This game looks fantastic. Particularly that city looks great. It looks like the map shown shows only the main island. It appears there will be more islands to explore like in the real Hawaii. I guess it will be like Hoenn or the Sevii Islands, where more islands open up once you get further. Maybe it will have three main islands with their own Pokédexes like the central, coastal and mountain areas in X and Y. Surf and ferry ships will probably feature prominently here. Let's hope there is more variety than Wingull and Tentacool, though.
Re: Gallery: Take a Closer Look at the Pokémon Sun and Moon Box Art and Starter Pokémon
#TeamRowlet
Re: Pokémon Sun and Moon Debut Trailer Confirms Starter Pokemon and Release Dates
This looks incredible. They seem to take less of a top-down perspective here. Let's hope that is not just in the areas they showed like with X and Y. Like the new Pokémon, particularly the lion and the owl thing.
Re: Mythical Pokémon Jirachi is Up for Grabs in Current-Gen Releases
4 games, 4 Jirachis. Yay!
Re: Enhanced Digital Store With Over 2,000 Games Launching Alongside My Nintendo This Week
So this is real? Nintendo actually doing something right with user friendliness of digital stores seems so rare at this point that this sounds too good to be true.
Re: Enhanced Digital Store With Over 2,000 Games Launching Alongside My Nintendo This Week
Wow! The number of people falling for this is surprisingly high this year.
Come on, people. What date comes after March 31st.
Re: Feature: Ten Game Boy Advance Games You Should Play
No mention of Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald or the excellent Game Boy remakes FireRed/LeafGreen? Blasphemy! No Nintendo handheld top 10 list can be without a mention of the iconic monster battling franchise. While Ruby and Sapphire have their own 3DS remakes, the Emerald Version still offers an altered Hoenn region storyline and additional challenges even OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire do not have, making it well worth at least one playthrough even today. FireRed and LeafGreen offer the definitive version of Pokémon's original Kanto quest, with many features and new areas that provide a streamlined experience that holds up much better than the recent VC Game Boy versions.
Then there's Mario Kart Super Circuit, a sadly overlooked entry in the series packed with lots of content and great Mode 7 visuals. You will find yourself hard-pressed to find a better racing game on the system. One of the coolest things is that you can unlock the tracks from Super Mario Kart, doubling the number of playable tracks in the game. While Retro Cups are a staple of the series nowadays, it was quite a surprise back in the early '00s. The new tracks include some serious creativity, including one made out of gift ribbons and a desert made of cheese.
And let's not forget Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age; two fully realized and visually gorgeous JRPGs that form one two-parter story. In any top ten list they should be treated as one game and they are best experienced when played both back-to-back in a single playthrough. The Djinn system provides plenty of experimentation and gameplay depth. You can find these spirits throughout your quest, collecting them as if they were Pokémon. You can either use their powers in battle or put them on standby to summon powerful spirits. The trick is to combine the four different elemental types of Djinni to get different powers or unlock new summons. Golden Sun builds on the legacy of - and feels like a homage to - the great JRPG classics of the SNES era, like Final Fantasy VI or Chrono Trigger. Just be prepared for some annoyingly long dialogue.
Re: Tsunekazu Ishihara on the Difficulty of Naming Pokémon for Different Regions
@Pikachupwnage A total amen to that, man. Mega Magcargo is the only thing that can potentially save that poor guy. One with a great boost in its Speed stat and with something different than that horrendous Fire/Rock typing could do wonders for the poor thing. What I really like about Mega Evolution is that it allows the otherwise useless or outclassed Pokémon to have a second chance to shine. I mean who thought something like Beedrill would ever become this solid?
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Wants Us to Download More and Move On From Discs - Will It Work?
I still typically go for a boxed version for two reasons:
1. It saves storage space on the 3DS.
2. I don't own a credit card, so if I want to add credit to the eShop, I have to use codes which I still need to go to the store for anyway.
If it ends up being download-only, I will move along, though. You need to be carrful with this stuff, though. Remember that PSP Go system nobody bought because it was download-only? You should never force these kind of things too quickly on people.
Re: Tsunekazu Ishihara on the Difficulty of Naming Pokémon for Different Regions
The best one is the the magma snail Pokémon called Magcargo. A clever mix of 'magma', 'cargo' (as in the shell it carries on its back) and 'escargot' (as in the French word for snail).
Re: Poll: Which Is The Best Mario Spin-Off Series or Game?
The only one I'm really into is Mario Kart.
Re: Twilight Princess HD Nearly Had Wii Remote Controls
They should have just made both an option, which I actually thought was the case at first. It would have been better because it would make people who have played it on Wii, GameCube or now for the first time on Wii U, all right at home. I personally always really liked the Wii controls.
Re: Review: Pokémon Red and Blue (3DS / GB)
I don't see the point of shelving out ten euros when I have the excellent GBA remake lying around. Yellow could be an option but only if there is some benefit to transferring your monsters to Sun/Moon that X/Y or OR/AS cannot provide.
Re: Niantic Cancels Pokémon GO Presentation At Game Developers Conference
Oh come on! Are we ever going to learn something more about this game. I was already starting to get hyped. Hope we at least get SOME info on this project. It sounds like a very cool and fun concept.
Re: Poll: The World Can't Get Enough Of Pokémon Yellow, But Which One Did You Buy?
Perhaps I'll give Yellow a try. I've already played so much through Red and I own FireRed and LeafGreen as well, so Yellow is really the only version that might still be of some value due to its unique features and altered boss rosters. I find the 10 euro price tag a little too high for a game I have played in various forms already. It really depends on wether there ends up being some serious benefit to sending your Pokémon from these versions to Sun and Moon. If it's just about adding certain Pokémon to the Pokédex I can rely perfectly on X/Y and OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire.
Re: Reminder: Mythical Pokémon Celebi Is Now Available to Download in Current-Gen Games
Four games means I have four Celebi's on top of the Pokémon Bank one.
Re: Feature: Nintendo Life's Favourite Pokémon Games - 20th Anniversary Edition
I don't really get why the paired versions were separate, but I am in full agreement HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best ones. Not only did they provide a way to experience what was still the best Pokémon quest all over again, they also worked amazingly well as remakes by incorporating the new elements from Crystal as well as putting back in scrapped areas that originate in Red, Blue and Yellow.
Re: Why We're Still Playing… Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Gold, Silver & Crystal were amazing at the time and long stood as my favourite Pokémon games. What made them special was that you could return to the Kanto region of the first three games, where some things were changed and three years had passed. Some of the old features were missing, though, like the Safari Zone, Cerulean and Seafoam Caves or Viridian Forest. HeartGold and SoulSilver remedy this by putting these areas back in, while also adding all the little additions from Crystal and most of the new features added in the third and fourth generations. It's not just a game that has stood the test of time, but also works really well as a remake. It's, simply put, the best Pokémon game made even better.
Re: Feature: Reflections on 20 Years of Pokemon
I vividly remember playing Pokémon Red in 2000 on the Game Boy at the height of the craze. What struck me is how easy it was to pick up and play yet how deep it was at the same time.
A year later I picked up Gold. Little did I know just how big of a ride I was in for. 100 new Pokémon, new Dark and Steel types, a new Johto region to explore and eight new badges to collect. Playing through the second generation for the first time is still my fondest gaming memory. Spring 2001 is full of magical memories for me. The whole experience was just so much better and more refined than ever before.
I kept on playing through each new game since then and my almost 29-year old body is ready for Sun and Moon.
What makes it still so fun to play is the fact that it adds new layers of gameplay and complexity with each new game - be it new types, the split between physical and special moves, new battle modes or mega evolutions - yet still manages to retain that easy to pick up and play nature. Each new game adds new stuff without ever sacrificing what was so fun about the older games.
Instead, it improves on an already great formula and makea it more varied and versatile. You can play however you want with whatever Pokémon you want. There is always room for experimentation. That makes it so that I can enjoy these games just as much as I enjoyed Red when I was thirteen years old. Sun and Moon will most likely be no different and I can't wait to find out what new gameplay concepts they will add.
Re: Pokémon Sun And Moon Confirmed For 3DS Release This Holiday Season
@Ralizah I was wondering about that as well, but it seems safe to assume that is not going to be possible.
Re: Live Blog: Watch the Pokémon Direct - Live!
Well that was dissapointing. I really hoped to see some footage of the new games. At least it's nice to know Red, Blue and Yellow can use Pokémon Bank.
Re: Trademarks And Logos For The Next Pokémon Game Surface Online Ahead Of Tomorrow's Nintendo Direct
HELL YEAH! Not another third version. I wonder if this will still be 6th generation. With the recent reveal of that new Pokémon Magearna, it might just be an all new generation. SO PSYCHED!
Re: Poll: Vote for Your Favourite Main Series Pokémon Games - 20th Anniversary Edition
HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best ones. Gold/Silver/Crystal were the best prior to that. Ergo, HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best Pokémon games made even better. The dual region concept was really cool in the Johto versions. The DS remakes added a lot of first generation stuff that was missing in the originals like the Safari Zone, the caves on the Seafoam Islands and Cerulean City and the forest north of Viridian City. You could also capture legendary pokémon from the first and third generation. All in all HeartGold and SoulSilver still feel like one of the most complete games two generations later. I picked X as my third option besides these two because of its carefully designed world and huge Pokémon variety. Could have picked Y as well but I slightly prefer X.
Re: Nintendo Announces a Pokémon Direct to Get the Celebrations Started
Either more info on Pokémon GO or a new portable game. If it's the latter, it is likely the much-speculated 'Pokémon Z' or really any version with a prominent role for Zygarde, including its various recently revealed forms. I'm expecting that complete form to be on th boxart. It could be something similar to Black and White 2, where it's a sequel to X and Y, or perhaps just a third edition to those games in the tradition of Pokémon Yellow. Whatever it is, I think this will be something big. Can't wait!
Re: Talking Point: Pokémon and Mega Man Show Us Extremes of Nostalgia's Value
I have Mega Man Legacy Collection on PC but as a portable release it still makes me consider buying it again. The idea of playing it on the go is interesting.
Pokémon is too expensive for me. I don't see the point of buying these games if I can still play the superior GBA remakes FireRed and LeafGreen. If there had been something substantial in these games not in the later titles in the series, I'd have liked the idea of having them in digital form. Unfortunately, the first generation is just too bare-bones to still show its depth in an age of online multiplayer, breeding and Mega Evolution.
Re: Feature: Nintendo Life's Favourite Legend of Zelda Games - 30th Anniversary Edition
Ocarina of Time is the best one. Why? Because it's the most balanced one. It's still easy to pick up and play, has a decent narrative, includes some of the best dungeons in the series, looks and sounds great for a game of its time, has clever ways to translate an older formula in 3D and innovated the series and gaming in general. It's a perfect mix of gameplay and presentational elements. Each little aspect of the game is thought through, has meaning, feels like it belongs there. But what truly makes it stand out among other Zeldas is how seamlessly all those elements blend together. More than any other Zelda game, Ocarina is more than just the sum of its parts. While other Zelda games always felt like they put too much emphasis on some parts and too little on others, Ocarina to me always felt like the one that got everything just about right.
Re: Pokémon Red, Blue And Yellow European Pricing Is Confirmed
I'm probably not gonna get them anyway. I'll go with FireRed or LeafGreen for my Generation 1 nostaliga kicks. If I do get one, it's probably gonna be the Yellow Pikachu Version.
Re: Man-Made Pokémon Magiana is Revealed, to Star in Upcoming Movie
Definitely Steel, I am guessing Electric or Fairy as a second type.
Re: Feature: A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 6 - 2013 to ????
X and Y form one of my favourite Pokémon pairs. While a little rough around the edges, the games still look great overall and finally provide that much needed big leap forward. Finally everything is rendered in 3D. This shines through especially during the battles, which feature absolutely gorgeous cell-shaded Pokémon. Watching them fight feels a lot like the cartoon and it's all rather spectacular. The France-inspired Kalos region is very well designed from an artistic perspective. Famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Reims Cathedral, Castle Chenonceaux, Versailles Palace and the Carnac Stones all have their equivalents in the game and are instantly recognizable. The Paris-inspired Lumiose City is almost a parody of an idealized vision of France, down to the locals, their customs and their mannerisms. Another big addition is Mega Evolution, which is almost like a super saiyan form for Pokémon. It feels much more of an addition than just adding evolutions of older Pokémon like in generation 2 or 4. This concept actually allows for an interesting battle mechanic making familiar Pokémon more versatile. The Mega Evolutions are like stronger versions of classics like Charizard or Lucario, but feel like new Pokémon all the same. Therefor I can kinda forgive the lack of new Pokémon. What is there is great, anyway. My favourites include the ninja frog Greninja, the flower-wielding pixie fairy Flabébé and the T-rex Pokémon Tyrantrum. The Fairy-type is a wonderful new layer in Pokémon's intricate gameplay that balances the Dragon-type like Dark and Steel did for Psychic-types in Gold and Silver. It's so great to have a new type that feels like in belongs in the game. Many older Pokémon like Clefairy and Ralts are this type as well now, which makes a lot of sense and adds new levels of versatility to them. The diversity in obtainable Pokémon is huge and allows for maximum freedom in team-building, even early on in the game.
OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire are great remakes, although I would have liked to see more of the stuff from Emerald. What I liked about the Gold/Silver remakes was that they included much of the little additions from Crystal as well. They didn't do the same with Emerald here. The most grotesque omission is the absence of the Battle Frontier. Other than that, the large number of Legendary Pokémon, Mirage Spots, new Mega Evolutions and a 3D Hoenn are wonderful. Much like the Zelda remakes, the eastetic of the original remains intact. This is Hoenn as vivid as ever. The Soar mechanic is very cool. Finally you can explore not just land and sea, but also the skies. It's a logical step forward that I hope they refine in future games. Speaking of which, I am curious if there will be a Z version featuring Zygarde. This is one of my favourite generations so far and I hope we will see one more game (pair).
Re: Pokémon the Series: XYZ Airing On Cartoon Network In February
I hope they do the generation 5 thing and make it a sequel to the first X and Y. That would be the best ending to one of my favourite Pokémon generations.
Re: Gallery: Have a Gawk at The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD's Boxart
Holy cripes! I just realized this game is ten years old this year. And the Wii system too. I feel way too old.
Re: Video: The Pokémon Company Builds Anniversary Hype and Confirms Monthly Mythical Pokémon Distributions
You can never have too many spare ones of these.
Re: Feature: A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 5 - 2010 to 2013
I was a little dissapointed with Black and White. While I enjoyed it and played it just as much as the previous titles, I didn't feel like it improved as much upon the ever-deepening Pokémon experience. The Rotation and Triple Battles were too rare to have any major effect on the game and only really shone in multiplayer. I missed many features like a Battle Frontier or a Safari Zone, and while there was a massive helping of 150+ new creatures to collect, their designs were kinda hit and miss. For every badass Seismitoad or Darmanitan there is a Klink (literally two spinning gears) or Woobat (just a Psychic-type Zubat). The graphics weren't really an improvement either, even with the battles finally being animated.
There was a lot of cool stuff, too. I did like how you don't see any Magikarps, Pikachus or Zubats, but instead find only new Pokémon you never met before (even if some are like rehashes). No forced evolutions or lower forms of old Pokémon like in Generation four, just new faces. And, while familiar, the plot has more meat because the main heroes and villians are more fleshed out, making you actually care about them. Oh, and the fact you can now use TM's over and over like HM's is a blessing and a subtle but distinctly useful improvement for competitive players. Speaking of multiplayer, the C-Gear finally made the on-the-go, social experience come full circle (and a long way since the link cables of late 90s and early 00s schoolyards). One small thing I personally really enjoyed was the first gym. At first you are tricked into believing this is a Normal-type gym full of generic creatures. But once you reach the Gym Leader, your opponent is actually decided by what Pokémon you pick at the start. It's always the one strong against your starter, so if you pick Oshawott the Water-type, you face a Grass specialist, the firey Tepig makes you face a Water-type trainer and Grass creature Snivy nets you a Fire-type master to fight. The fact that there is a replacement Pokémon available in the area - so as to mess with the Gym Leader's strategy - is a perfect example of Pokémon's depth and fun factor.
Then came Black and White 2. I was surprised they didn't opt for the mandatory third version, but went the extra mile and made a sequel instead. And what a genius move it was. The old cast from the first game was two years older. They are wiser, more mature and all the more enjoyable if you played the first game. There are many more Pokémon available right away. While it takes away the freshness of the first game, adding Pokémon from old generations is more befitting for a sequel and gave much more room for team building and experimenting with different creatures. It ultimately felt more like the game I didn't get with the first two games.
In the end, I still think they should have taken the time to make Black and White a 3DS title. What we got felt a little like a filler generation (even with the sequel being better). The rough start of Nintendo's new handheld could have been prevented if Pokémon had been a launch title.
Re: Feature: A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 4 - 2006-2010
Diamond and Pearl weren't a proper improvement visually, but the fact that you could finally battle and trade online was a revelation. Something you don't notice at first, but had a huge influence on the gameplay was the fact that each move was now assigned special or physical individually, instead of each element type. This made some of your favourite Pokémon suddenly useless and some of the mediocre ones turned out to be beasts when imported into Sinnoh. I disliked the Battle Frontier was removed, but they brought it back in Platinum. The weird Distortion World in that game made the climax at Mt. Coronet that much more interesting, especially with the new Giratina form at the end. And then came HeartGold and SoulSilver. My God, this is a textbook example of how to do a proper remake. Gold, Silver and Crystal were my favourite Pokémon games to begin with, but this version makes the game even better. There are new areas, including the Safari Zone which had to be scrapped at the last moment in the GBC original, there's a bit more storyline and it even carries over many of the little additions added in Crystal, including the Suicune side-quest. The DS touch screen is implemented much better than in the Sinnoh games as well, allowing for gameplay that's a little more streamlined. The Kanto postgame is also much better than before. Many things cut from the originals, like the basement on the Seafoam Islands, the cave in Cerulean City and the forest south of Viridian City have been put back in place, as well as all the Red, Blue and Yellow legendary Pokémon. It just feels like they went the extra mile to correct the issues of what was already a terrific game. Add in that little box of win that turns the music into the old 8-bit version and you have what is still my favourite Pokémon game.
Re: Feature: A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 3 - 2002 to 2006
Save for the more colourful GBA graphics, this generation wasn't as much of an improvement at first glance. Under the surface, though, things like natures and the expanded berry system really made the gameplay deeper and more interesting once you really looked into it. I wasn't too blown away by Ruby or Sapphire at first. The sizeable amount of new creatures was welcome, although I hated how many of the older Pokémon weren't available at first. Thankfully, later titles in this generation corrected this. The idea of Pokémon remakes was a clever way of keeping older Pokémon adventures available to new generations of players, while old fans got an easy way to get their hands on Pokémon from older titles. Once the Generation 1 remakes came along, suddenly there were two stories in two different worlds expanding each other greatly. In retrospect, it was a genious move by Game Freak. Sure, the GBA's high amount of remakes and ports got a little annoying after a few years, but FireRed and LeafGreen were amongst those that actually added something substantial to the original games. And that's exactly what a good remake should do. Then there was Emerald. The new Battle Frontier was pretty damn hardcore. Sure, the game was mostly the same thing as the other two Hoenn versions, but it also was the ultimate version and the biggest Pokémon experience ever at the time. What started as a little dissapointing for me, ultimately became one of my most played generations. So many memories!